All Or Nothing At All
Harry James and His Orchestra Lyrics


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All or nothing at all
Half a love, never appealed to me
If your heart, never could yield to me
Then I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all

All or nothing at all
If it's love, there is no in between
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
No I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all

But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart may go dizzy and fall

And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
I would be, caught in the undertow




So you see, I've got to say no, no
All or nothing at all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Harry James & His Orchestra's song "All or Nothing at All" is a stirring tale of a person who understands what they want out of love: nothing less than everything. The persona is in a precarious emotional position as they want all or nothing. Half measures will not do. They sing of how half a love can never appeal to them, and if the person's heart would never yield to them, they would rather have nothing. This position is intense as they want the entirety of someone's affection, and if they cannot have that, they would rather not engage with them at all.


The persona notes that love is an all or nothing affair, that there is no "in-between" for them. They express their reluctance to start something that would only end in tears for something they wish they had but could not attain. In the chorus, they continue to note their preference for nothing over half-hearted feelings; they rather not engage in a relationship where the other person is not all in. Nonetheless, they are aware of their vulnerability to the other person's charms, asking them not to bring their lips too close to their cheek, as they know that could lead to them being "lost beyond recall."


The song's lyrics are poetic and describe the struggle of the persona to find their way in a relationship. They are aware of what they want, but they are also aware of the danger of falling for something they cannot have. The song's narrative is relatable, as it speaks to the complexities of falling in love and wanting someone who may not feel the same way.


Line by Line Meaning

All or nothing at all
I cannot settle for anything less than complete devotion.


Half a love, never appealed to me
I cannot be satisfied with a love that is only partially given.


If your heart, never could yield to me
If you are unable to fully open your heart to me.


Then I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
I would rather have nothing than a love that is half-hearted or unrequited.


If it's love, there is no in between
Love is an all or nothing proposition; there is no middle ground.


Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
It is better to not start a love affair that has no future, rather than regret it later.


No I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
I would rather have no love than a love that is not genuine.


But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't play with me by giving me mixed signals of affection.


Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
I cannot resist your charm and would be swept away by it.


The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
Your physical touch and gestures of affection have a strong effect on me.


And my heart may go dizzy and fall
I may become emotionally overwhelmed and lose control.


And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
If I became enchanted by your voice.


I would be, caught in the undertow
I would be unable to resist your pull and would be swept away.


So you see, I've got to say no, no
I am forced to say no to your advances to protect myself from being hurt.


All or nothing at all
I cannot settle for anything less than complete devotion.




Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Arthur Altman, Jack Lawrence

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@LordFrancisco1000

All or nothing at all
Half a love, never appealed to me
If your heart, never could yield to me
Then I'd rather, rather have nothing at all
I said all, nothing at all
If it's love, there ain't no in between
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
No, I'd rather, rather have nothing at all
Hey, please don't bring your lips close to my cheek
Don't you smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
The kiss in your eyes and the touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart, it may go dizzy and fall
And if I fell under the spell of your call
I would be, be caught in the undertow
Well, you see, I've got to say no, no, no
All or nothing at all
And if I fell, fell under the spell of your call
Don't you know I would be caught in the undertow
So, you see, I've got to say no, no, or
Or nothing at all, or
Or nothing at all



All comments from YouTube:

@aisforamerica2185

I enjoy Frank, but I think I enjoy him most in his early days...there's nothing quite like that youthful voice behind the 1940s fuzzy audio!

@monicabella7894

Simply the truth

@lrn_news9171

I agree. Sinatra from early 1940s to 1946 was unbeatable

@zackb161

The Voice!

@princesskagome23

Completely agree

@stefanschutz5166

Later he become vulgar.

1 More Replies...

@century123ful

Young Frank Sinatra showed why, in this memorable recording, he was destined to become the best popular singer of all time. I still have the original recording and treasure it along with his many other great recordings throughout his lifetime.

@kristinehatkinson7323

Amen. I think his best of all time.

@bradhuskers

Elvis presley had a richer more complex tone.
And elvis's soul depth and diversity destroys frank.

@bradhuskers

@monica bella
Only in your low IQ reality.
Elvis's soul depth and diversity destroys frankie.
No contest.

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